Cutting-table for brick or tile machines



- s sets-sheen 1. E. M. FREESEIU J. W. WOLOTT. CUTTING TABLE ECE BRICK CE TILE MACHINES.

No. 400,399.V y PatentedMar. 26, .1889.

(No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

`RM. PREESB an J. W. WOLGQTT. CUTTING TABLE FOR BRICK OR. TILE MACHINES.

No. 400,399. Patented Mar. '26, '1889.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

EGBERT M. FREESE, OF PLYMOUTH, AND JOHN W. VVOLOOTT, OF FREMONT, ASSIGNORS TO FATE dt FREESE, OF PLYMOUTH, OHIO.

CUTTING-TABLE FOR BRICK OR TILE MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 400,399, dated March 26, 1889.

Application iiled November 14, 1888. Serial No. 290,842. (No model.)

T0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, EGBERT M. FREESE, of Plymouth, in the county of Richland and State of Ohio, and J oHNA W. WoLcoTT, of Fremont, in the county of Sandusky and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cutting-Tables for Brick,

Tile, &c.; and we do hereby declare that the, following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is a perspective View of our improved cutting-table, some of the cuttingwires having been removed to better show the construction of the machine. Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is -an end elevation. Fig. 4 is a plan of the under side of the table and its appurtenances with the rollers removed. 5 is a vertical sectional view on the transverse plane indicated by the broken line Vmarked in Figs. 2 and 4; and Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are detail views of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures.

This invention has relation to so called` cutting-tables for cutting brick, tile, and similar ware of clay or terra-cotta while in a plastic or green condition, as the column of clay which is to form said ware issues from the die or former of the press; and our improvement consists, essentially, in the combination, with the table carrying the devices which support the advancing column of clay, of a revolving reel carryinga series of radially-arranged cutting-wires; also, in the combination, with the revolving reel, of an automatically-operating gate; and, furthermore, in the detailed construction and combination of parts of the machine, as will be hereinafter more fully and at length set forth, our improved machine being equally well adapted for use with a continuously-operating or continuous-feed press and with an intermittently-operating intermittent-feed press.

Reference being had to the accompanying three sheets of drawings7 the letter A desigpieces, as expediency may direct.

nates the rollerfable, which receives the plastic column of clay or 'terra-cotta as it issues from the die of the press in the usual manner. This table (the detailed construction of which will be described farther on) is supported adjustably upon standards B-one at each endwhich are bolted to the door, and provided at their upper ends with sockets b, through which the screw-threaded bearings O are inserted in such a manner that these bearings may be raised or lowered at will wit-hout revolving in their sockets by turning the hand-wheels c, the threaded hubs of which engage the screws C. Each of these vertically-adjustable bearings carries at its upper end a fixed horizontal arm, D, the ends of which have crossheads d, forming tracks or ways for the flanged rollers E E, which are connected to each other by an axle, e. These rollers or traveler-wheels support the cross-heads f of the horizontal bearings F, so that it will be seen that said bearings have a limited forward-and-back motion in a horizontal plane upon' the verticallyadjustable `bearings D.

The movable bearings F at opposite ends of the machine are connected rigidly by a shaft, G, one end of which forms a journal for the hub H of the revolving cutter-reel. The latter consists of a series of radial arms, I, preferably three in number, at equal distances from one another, and bent at right angles at their outer ends, parallel to the cen tral shaft, G, as shown at J. These reel-arms I J may either be made in one piece, by bending a solid or tubular bar into the proper shape, or they may be made of two or more By preference we use sections of ordinary iron gas -pipe in their construction, which Icombines lightness with stiffness and durability, the two pieces or sections I and J being united at right angles to each other by elbows fi. The free ends of the reel-armsare preferably, but not necessarily, connected endwiseto one another by a ring or circle, K, having shaft G for its center and facing the press. As the column of clay issues from the die or former of the latter, it is received, as usual in this class of machines, upon a series of' suitablyconstructed rollers, L, which form the horizontal surface of the table, and are journaled parallel to one another, and in sets consisting of a suitable number of rollers in each set, in the notched end pieces, M, of brackets N, Fig. 6, the inner ends of which are secured adjustably upon the fixed shaft G, from which they project at right angles. The attachment of said roller-brackets upon the shaft may be effected, as shown in the drawings, by means of collars m at the inner ends of the brackets, provided on one side with bindingescrews l, the inner ends of which bear against the fixed shaft G, so as to hold the brackets securely in their proper position.

Instead of the rollers Il, the brackets M N may support any other covering for the surface of the table, such as may be suitable to receive and preserve the form of the column of clay as it advances from the die of the forming-machine; and we do not confine ourselves to any particular' device for this purpose.

To the horizontal arms of the revolving reel are fastened the outer ends of the cuttingwires O, the inner ends of which are suitably fastened in hubs or sleeves P, which revolve between adjustable collars Q., fastened upon shaft G by means of binding-screws q.

We do not confine ourselves to any particular manner of attaching the wires to the reelarms and hubs, as this may be accomplished in various ways, but prefer to employ collars R, fastened adjustably upon arlns J by binding-screws o', and provided on one side with a projecting socketpiece, S', Fig. 7, having a square aperture for the insertion of a bolt, T, the squared lower end of which has a notch, t, in which the wire is fastened, while its cylindrical upper end is screw-threaded to engage the thumb-nut U. This device permits of tightening the wire, so as to give it the proper tension for cutting, simply by turning the nut, and also enables the operator to substitute a new wire for a broken one in a moment of time.

The inner ends of the cutting-wires may be fastened upon their respective revolving hubs P by means of projecting T-shaped hooks p, or in any other convenient manner. It is obvious that the collars or bearings Q, between which hubs P revolve, must be so spaced and secured upon the fixed shaft G relative to one another and to the bracket-collars m that each set of cutting-wires shall lie in a vertical plane intersecting shaft G at right angles.

At the end of the machine farthest from the press is arranged an automatic gate, V, Fig. 8, hinged upon a pintle, c, and operated by a spring, NV, which, with the pintle round which the spring is coiled, is protected by a box or casing, X. On that side which fronts the reelarms I the gate is provided with a projecting segment, S, adapted to engage projections s upon the reel-arms I as the reel revolves. The tension of the gatesprin g lV operates to keep the Agate open, or in a position approximately parallel to shaft G; but as in revolving Ythe reel its project-ions s successively strike and en gage the projecting segment S the gate will be closed-z'. e., brought into a position at right angles to shaft G-in which position it is maintained until released as the reel projection slips past and disengages the segment, when the gate, actuated by its spring, instantly iiies back to its open position. Obviously the gate V may be arranged to swing upward instead of sidewise, so as to close by its own gravity, in

which case the spring may be dispensed with,l

and when our table is used in conjunction with an intermittent-feed machine, where the ware is at rest while the cutis being made, this gate may be omitted altogether.

From thc foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, the manipulation and operation of our improved cuttingtable will readily be understood. By means of the vertically-adjustable bearings or supports it may speedily be adjusted in height to accommodate the different kinds or sizes of ware to be cut or different elevations of the die or former in different machines. The revolving reel is so balanced that no more power than is necessary to cut the clay is required to operate it, and the roller-supportin g bearings, with their appropriate brackets, are so divided in sets, it will be seen, as to admit of the cutting-wire passing freely between them, so that the cut is alwaysmade while the wires pass downward or against the ware to be cut, the cutting-wires passing only once through the ware for each cut, thereby producing a clean cut and allowing the operator much more time to remove the ware from the table than is possible in that class of cuttingtables in which the cutting is done by a reciprocating frame provided with a series of cutting-wires. A one-third revolution of the reel (where three arms are used) completes one cut and brings another set of wires into position for the next, the reel being always revolved toward the operator.

As has been stated above, the gate at the forward end of the table operates automati cally withV the movement of the reel, and its object when used is to gage the length of ware, so that there is no waste or loss of time in cutting off ends or trimming the ware; also, to arrest the advancing column of clay in order to hold it stationary While being cut, otherwise the cut would be slanting, which would necessitate dressing or finishing the ware after leaving the table. As the table moves forward with the ware while the cutis being made and at the same ratio of speed, (when our table is used in conjunction with a continuous-feed press,) the cut will be clean and square at all times. In case the cutting-table is intended for use with intermittent-feed machines, in which the movement of the plastic column of ware is stopped while the cut is being made, the traveler wheels or rollers E E may of course be omitted; but when used on a continuous-feed machine they will be used, for the reason that the cutting-table has to be reciprocated at IOO each operation to prevent the Ware being cut slanting.

Having thus described our invention, W claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesl. The combination of the table, revolving cutting-reel, and automatic gate, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the fixed verticallyadjustable lstandards or supports, the table, reel, and gate forming parts of and moving in unison With the table, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of the fixed verticallyadjustable standards having horizontal bearings at 'their upper ends, the traveler-Wheels adapted to run on said bearings, and the roller-table, reel, and gate supported on bearings resting upon'the traveler-Wheels, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

4. The combination of the fixed central shaft, adjustable roller-brackets, revolving cutting-reel, and revolving hubs for the attachment of the inner ends of the cutting- Wires, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

ltially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing as our own We have hereunto affixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

EGBERT M. FREESE. JOHN W. VVOLCOTT.

Witnesses W. F. BERKMAN, W. W. WEBB. 

